Ways to Keep the Fire Burning on Long Assignments

Want to stay motivated every single day? Borrow a strategy from Harvard. Then borrow another from stand up comedy. Together, they’re a powerhouse for momentum, motivation, and mastery. Here’s how it works: Let’s start with Harvard. Researcher Teresa Amabile studied 12,000 daily work diaries across 8 companies. She wanted to know: What truly motivates people on a day to day basis? What she found changed how we understand drive. The #1 driver of daily motivation wasn’t: Money Praise Perks It was progress. The days people made progress on meaningful work were the days they felt the best. Progress isn’t a luxury. It’s a psychological necessity. So how do we make progress feel visible especially on days when it’s not? Use a “Progress Ritual.” → At the end of the day, pause. → Write down 3 small ways you moved forward. → That’s it. No fanfare. Just ritual. This works because we rarely notice our progress in real time. It gets buried under busyness, meetings, and mental noise. The act of looking back gives your brain the reward it needs to keep going. Momentum builds from meaning. Now let’s add some comedy. Young Jerry Seinfeld had one goal: write new material every day. To stay on track, he created a brilliant system. Each day he wrote, he put a big red X on his calendar. Soon, a chain of Xs formed. And here’s the key: Don’t break the chain. One red X becomes two. Two becomes ten. Ten becomes identity. Whether you’re writing, coding, or training Daily action + visual chain = long-term motivation. Summary: The Two-Part Motivation System From Harvard: Record 3 ways you made progress each day. From Seinfeld: Mark an X for each day you show up then don’t break the chain. Progress fuels purpose. Consistency fuels confidence. Apply both and you’ll stay on track especially on the tough days. Because when your days get better, your weeks get better. When your weeks get better, your months get better. When your months get better, your life gets better. It starts with one small win today.

On staying motivated after many rounds of revision. Multiple rounds of major revision can be draining, especially when it feels like you're rebuilding the plane mid-flight. Here’s are a few tips on how to motivated and grounded through it all: 1. Reframe It as a Collaboration, Not a Judgment See reviewers as (sometimes grumpy) collaborators helping to shape the best version of your work. Their feedback—however frustrating—is usually a signal that your ideas matter and are worth refining. 2. Track Progress, Not Just Completion Create a checklist of reviewer comments or revision goals and tick them off one by one. That visible progress (even if the paper’s not “done”) can be energizing. 3. Reconnect with Your "Why" When motivation dips, return to your core question: Why did this research matter in the first place? Re-engaging with your intellectual curiosity and purpose helps push through the mechanical grind of revision. 4. Build in Breaks and Boundaries Revision fatigue is real. Give yourself permission to step back when needed—rest protects your clarity and sharpness. It's a marathon, not a sprint. 5. Celebrate Micro-Wins Finished rewriting a tough section? Responded to Reviewer 2’s five-point rant? That’s a win. Treat it like one. Little celebrations create momentum. And bonus: Keep a “Praise Folder” — any positive feedback, encouraging comments, or earlier wins—when imposter syndrome hits (and it will), that folder can remind you: you’ve got this.

How do you stay motivated? Here's my non-obvious list. Opinions are my own (not ChatGPT's! ;) 💡 1. "It's normal to want to give up": One of the best advice I've ever heard, personally. It's freeing to think that if you push hard enough on something, it's normal to hit that point from time to time. Going further, in my experience, it's almost a marker that you're about to hit a breakthrough. Remember to add a dose of self-compassion, and you'll feel that motivation flowing back. 2. "Set balanced goals": That one is scientifically proven. Motivation peeks when a goal isn't perceived as too easy or too hard but just right. Think rock-climbing a slightly challenging route that's "perceived" as just above your level. Note the emphasis on perception here, which differs from people to people. Remember this balanced goal-setting applies to you, your direct reports, and I would say your company as a whole. 3. "Combine intrinsic and extrinsic motivators": Intrinsic motivation is scientifically proven to be stronger, more long-lasting, and fulfilling so make sure what you're doing motivates you from within. I don't have to tell you about starting with why etc. My point is to also make sure you play on those extrinsic levers with rewards, celebrations, bonuses, asking for a raise, etc. 4. "Look back": One of my favorite ones is to look back a year or further in the past, to review your progress. It's an amazing thing and can be a huge source of motivation. Timely celebrations in the moment are important, but I'd argue looking back from time to time can be as important. 5. "Break it down": Hard problems can always be broken down into smaller problems. Divide the tough stuff into smaller, manageable steps. Also captured in this generic yet lovely advice to "think big, start small, and move quickly". 6. "Take breaks": I have to constantly remind myself of this: Breaks are a part of work and help keep you balanced and motivated. Going deeper: putting yourself in a situation where one of your senses is less stimulated helps relax parts of your brain and stimulate others. For all of us working on a screen, our vision is ultra-stimulated throughout the day. That's why we often find our best ideas on walks with headphones, in the shower, in planes, etc. Thanks for reading! Please comment and post yours below. 🤗

Procrastination isn't about time. It's about emotions. You're not lazy. Your brain is protecting you from difficult feelings. Fear. Anxiety. Self-doubt. I've seen it steal dreams. Maybe you have too. Here are 8 powerful ways to break free: 1. Create Space Between Trigger and Response 💬 "The moment I face a big task, I grab my phone." ➟ Pause for 30 seconds when avoidance hits ➟ Take three deep breaths ➟ Ask: "What tiny step can I take now?" 💡 Viktor Frankl: Our power lies in the space between trigger and response. Try: Set a 30-second timer next time you feel the urge to avoid. 2. Face Your Fears Head-On 💬 "I keep delaying because what if everything goes wrong?" ➟ Write down your worst-case scenarios ➟ Rate how likely each one is ➟ List one action to prevent each fear 💡 Named fears lose their emotional grip. Try: Write down your biggest fear about your delayed project. 3. Build Instant Rewards 💬 "Important tasks feel painful. Netflix feels good." ➟ Pair tough tasks with immediate pleasures ➟ Create small celebrations for completion ➟ Track your wins visually 💡 Your brain craves instant gratification. Use it to your advantage. Try: Choose one small reward for your next completed task. 4. Design Your Environment 💬 "My workspace doesn't inspire action." ➟ Place visual reminders of your goals ➟ Set out tools needed for tomorrow ➟ Remove distracting triggers 💡 Your environment shapes your behavior more than willpower. Try: Put one inspiring image where you'll see it tomorrow. 5. Use Social Power 💬 "I keep my goals private so I can't fail publicly." ➟ Tell someone your deadline ➟ Share progress updates ➟ Set public consequences 💡 Social pressure creates positive emotional urgency. Try: Text one friend about your next deadline. 6. Reset Your State 💬 "Bad moods make me avoid everything." ➟ Take a 2-minute meditation break ➟ Step outside briefly ➟ Do 5 jumping jacks 💡 Physical state changes create emotional shifts. Try: Stand up and stretch right now for 30 seconds. 7. Create When-Then Plans 💬 "I have good intentions but never follow through." ➟ Write specific action triggers ➟ Link habits to existing routines ➟ Remove decision points 💡 Clear plans bypass emotional resistance. Try: Write one "When X happens, I will do Y" statement. 8. Track Visible Progress 💬 "It feels like I'm getting nowhere." ➟ Use a progress calendar ➟ Mark daily wins ➟ Share your journey 💡 Seeing progress builds emotional momentum. Try: Draw a simple progress bar for your current project. Your dreams are waiting. Your emotions shouldn't stop you. Pick one strategy. Start now. Which one will you try first? ♻️ Repost if this resonated with you! 🔖 Follow me Suren Samarchyan for more.

Most of us are wrong about how to stay motivated. A month ago, we were all excited about our new goals for the year. And now, for so many of us, the motivation starts to fade. The usual response is to beat yourself up with some harsh self-talk. Motivation is internal, right? So the best solution is to give your internal drill sergeant freedom to shout at you. But that's actually not the best way. Clients hire me and my team because they're excited about our ideas and strategies--and we do have some unique methods. Then they discover our other strength: the ability to keep their teams focused and motivated. (It might be the more valuable of the two.) What I've learned doing upgrade work with thousands of companies (literally) is that motivation is very sensitive to the environment. If you're trying to lose weight, don't put a plate of freshly baked cookies on the table every night. When we work with our clients as long-term change partners, we don't just bring ideas. We craft an environment that keeps you and your team working on what's most important for as long as it takes--staying focused and making progress for multiple years if needed. So, in case you're working through this yourself, here are some of the elements that increase motivation. -Every 90 days, inject more energy and more ideas into the system. Hold a meeting, tell stories, and set new goals for that quarter. -Every month (at least), post your scorecard and celebrate progress (and lean into anything that's off track). -Every week, have your managers ask their teams what their goals for the week are and what obstacles are slowing them down. -For critical roles, provide 1:1 coaches to help them work through complex problems and create more clarity on their plans. -And for yourself, if it's an important change, then every single day measure the activity related to your goal. If you're trying to lose weight, count your calories every day and step on the scale every morning. If you're trying to upgrade the service levels on a team, count the hours spent working on making it better and looking at customer feedback. Just seeing the score every day will increase your motivation. You don't have to be mean to yourself to stay motivated. Maybe what you're calling a motivation problem is really an environmental system problem.